{MKs} Say the Darndest Things

Bill Cosby said that {kids} say the darndest things, but I'll venture to guess that {MKs} do even more! It's something about that dual language bit, or maybe a slight touch of cross-cultural confusion. Whatever it is, it makes for some very humorous moments. Not all of them are blog-sanctioned but I did think I might share a few for posterity (taking care to protect the innocent, of course!)

Recently two of my children were playing Wii in the room next door. Suddenly my ears perked up as I heard one say, "Oh, (expletive!)" Whaaat?? Before I had a chance to bound into the room for a confrontation, I heard the other child repeat the same expression and then add, "What's that?" The first child said matter-of-factly, "I don't know. It's what the kids in my class say. I don't know what it means!" Mind you, these kids he/she mentioned are Chilean, i.e. they DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH. They do, however, repeat English phrases from the movies their parents allow them to see (and therein lies another blog post altogether. Did you know that PG-13 movie are generally rated TE+7 here, shaving six years off the recommended viewing age? Just lovely.)

Needless to say, I quickly made a point of telling the children that word was not an appropriate one. In response to which a third sibling who had not heard the exchange quickly inquired, "What did they say? The kids in my class are always asking me what the bad words are in English!" Oh, brother.

So, remember that crucial conversation I mentioned at the beginning of the school year? Well, take the newly acquired vocabulary of human reproductive organs and mix in a little bit of language confusion and you are certain to encounter some unexpected entertainment! In this case, an everyday part of life in Chile played a role as well.

You see, Chileans love dogs. Whether they are their own dogs or street dogs, they love them. Only, they also love to let their dogs wander outside the confines of their own home to do their, ahem, business. Needless to say it is important to keep your eyes on the ground at all times when walking down Chilean sidewalks. Which is what this child was doing when he/she saw a coiled deposit on the ground and exclaimed, "Hey! It looks just like a testicle!" Followed by my gasp and then a moment of clarity in which he/she added, "No, that's not the right word. What is the one inside your stomach?" I hurriedly suggested, "Intestine?" and was rewarded with a completely innocent and matter-of-fact response: "Oh yeah, intestine! Not testicle, intestine." So glad we sorted that one out and oh please don't let's have this vocabulary confusion next furlough, okay?? :)

Who needs television comedy when you can experience it right in your own living room ... Holding my breath in expectation/apprehension of what will come next!